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JAMES O, RHODES, OF STILLWA'IER, MINNESOTA Leiters Patent No. 73,386, elated January 14, 1868.

IMPROVEMENT IN GRUTGHES,

TO ALL WIIOM IT MAY CONGERN: l

Be it known that I, JAMES C. RHODES, of Stillwater, in the county of Washington, and State of Minnesoto, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Orutches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in thc art to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This invention relates to a new and improved device for preventing the end ot' a crutch from slipping on ice or other slippery plaoes;.and it consists in arranging an adjustable spur or point in the end of the crutch, as will b'e hereinafter described.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal central section of a crutch, constructed according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a cross-section', through the line x x of g. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts.

The main feature of my improvement is securing a rod in the crutch, the lower end of which shall have a point or spur attached, while the upper end shall be within reach of the hand, and so arranged that it may 'oe made to protrude beyond the lower end ofthe crutch, or be drawn up above it, with an arrangement whereby it may he fastened in either position'.

A represents the rod; B is the point or spur, which is larger in diameter than the rod. In the lower portion of the crutch there is a tube or recess, a, and in this recess there is a spiral spring, c, which bears against the upper end of the recess, and against the spur or point, which forms a shoulder on 'the rod, as seen in the drawing. In this position the tendency of the spring is to force the spur and rod down, as it bears on the shoulder with a constant pressure. To prevent the spur from being forced too far out, and to provide means for holding it up in the recess a, above the ond of the crutch, I attach plates O, D, and E, tothe crutch, between the branches, as seen'in the drawing. These plates are secured together by screws c e.

On the top or upper end of the rod A there is a sleeve, cZ, into-which the rod is screwed or fastened, and through the sleeve d there is a pin,f, which projects, as seen. The middle plate D is slotted, so as to allow this projecting pin to pass through it when the pin is turned in the right position. In the plates C and E, which are placed above and below the plate D, there are circular recesses, as-seen in tig. 2, so that when the rod is raised to the upper recess, thespur B will be withdrawn from the end of the crutch, when, by giving the rod a partial turn, by the handle Gr, the pin will be turned from the slot ,in the plate D, and rest upon its upper side, thus holding the rod in that position, or with the spur withdrawn.

When it is desired to use the spur, it is only necessary to turn the rod,'so that the pin will enter the slot in D, when the Spring will force it down till it strikes the lower plate E, and a partial turn of the rod fastens4 it in that position. The rod A may be raised and lowered by a screw-thread outon it, engaging with a nut in the place ofthe plates, or with a nut in some other position. I do not therefore confine myself to the particular arrangement shown.

The handle G forms a permanent rest for the hand of the person using the crutch, so that he can instantan'eously project or retract the spur without changing the grasp of his hand. The spur in crutches is much more important to the person using than appears to people who have no need of. crutches. It should always 'be kept sharp as possible, so as to 'penetrate icc or slippery timber easily when wanted. To do this it must be withdrawn while walking en stone sidewalks, or the point will be ground olf, so as tohe useless, in a very short time.

But having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,l and desire to secure by Letters Paten-t, is

The handle G, in combination with the rod A, spur B, and tho devices for projecting and rctracting said spur, substantially as set forth.

JAMES C. RHODES.

Witnesses:

vH. F. TnoMPsoN, H. R. Mouwen. 

